March 12, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Six Little Words By Sally Page

Can one small note give her the courage to find a new path?

One Note. One Act of kindness. Her new beginning is closer than she thinks.

Kate gave up her dreams of being a painter years ago. But six little words pinned to the noticeboard of her local café could change her path forever.

‘To be, or not to be…’ – printed on orange card with no explanation – appears one morning.

Each day, a new line from a different Shakespeare play is added, sparking curiosity throughout the café. Among the regulars is Bardy, a retired English teacher grappling with writer’s block.

As Kate and Bardy follow this breadcrumb trail, they discover a local community group encouraging people to rediscover their own creative spark – and the long-lost courage to chase it.

For Kate, their new group might just offer a second chance at happiness, if only Bardy can find the strength to share his story too…

Home Sweet Home In Brambleton By Fay Keenan

Following a less-than-picture-book childhood, Bella West has got used to moving around – putting down roots opens you up for disappointment and heartbreak. But since arriving in the idyllic Somerset village of Lower Brambleton, something has changed.

Bella loves her job at Purrfect Paws cat rescue and the many residents love her back. So, when one particularly grumpy Bengal named Monty proves hard to charm, Bella is determined to find out his story.

When Noah Hathaway’s beloved Grandpa Jack passes away it falls to him to deal with his estate including his charming but run-down cottage in Lower Brambleton, not forgetting Jack’s cantankerous cat Monty. Busy with a life in London, Noah wants to settle things quickly, but countryside life has its own pace and slowly but inexorably the charms of Lower Brambleton begin to work their magic on Noah.

Can one morose moggy, one perfect English village and one endless countryside summer teach Bella and Noah the meaning of home and the joy of taking a chance on love?

The Last Page Cafe By Kate Storey

Sometimes the last page is just the beginning…

At fifty-four, Erin McRae feels like she’s living in the margins of her own story. Her son is preparing to fly the nest, and the rent increase on the café she loves to run means she’s going to have to close up shop. Her greatest escape is the mismatched book club she founded, bound together by one unusual rule: they choose their next book based solely on the last page.

But when the book club discusses what their own last pages might say, Erin and her fellow members begin to see their own lives in unexpected ways.

As the club’s discussions grow deeper, long-buried secrets surface, old wounds start to heal – and romance leaps off the page. With The Bookmark under threat of closure, Erin must ask herself: can she write herself a happier story?

Journalist Meg Reed is about to find out that sometimes the best stories aren’t the ones you’re assigned to write— they’re the ones you’re brave enough to live.

Meg thought she’d closed the door on her past when she left Oregon—and her ex, Matt Parker—for her dream job at ESPN. But when her editor assigns her to cover a winter sports event during the holidays, Meg finds herself face-to-face with everything she left behind.

Matt’s throwing his thirtieth birthday bash, and Meg’s determined to keep things professional—attend the party for old time’s sake, cover the story and get back to her carefully constructed life in New York.

And then she sees Matt again.

When their eyes meet across the festive lodge with its crackling fire and glittering Christmas trees, seven years dissolve in an instant. The chemistry that once burned between them flickers back to life, bringing with it all the complicated feelings she thought she’d dealt with.

As Meg sips hot chocolate in her cozy log cabin and tries to focus on crafting her feature story, she can’t shake the pull of old dreams and new possibilities. Some feelings don’t fade—and some people are worth fighting for. But is it too late for second chances?

About The Author

My Review

This is a warm, feel-good holiday tale about friendship, second chances, and rediscovering what truly matters. Set against the charming backdrop of a snow-dusted Oregon town, the story follows Meg, a driven ESPN reporter returning home to cover a news story—only to cross paths with her ex, Matt, whose easy charm and steady presence reignite old feelings.

Told through the perspectives of Meg, her boss Johanna, and her best friend Jill, the novel beautifully intertwines three women’s emotional journeys. Each faces crossroads in love and life—Meg with her career-versus-heart dilemma, Johanna with her crumbling relationship, and Jill with her own hidden struggles. Alexander masterfully balances humor and heart, wrapping each storyline in the comforting glow of friendship and festive spirit.

Filled with cozy small-town charm, nostalgic holiday moments, and the reminder that home is as much about people as place, A Cozy Kind of Christmas is a delightful, uplifting read. Perfect for curling up with a blanket and a mug of cocoa, it captures the true magic of Christmas connection.

My Rating